Career Day
by Etirdoyn
Summary: Then, the wizard started talking about dragons. 'This,' Charlie knew deep in his bones as surely as he had known he was a wizard, 'this is what I want to do when I grow up.'
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wasn't going to post it like this but this bit got a lot of love on Tumblr so I thought might as well post it as a stand alone story rather then letting people search _The Affairs of Wizards: Drabbles_ for it.**

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It's nearing the end of his second year when suddenly rumors pop up about how Headmaster Dumbledore had convinced someone _famous_ to visit for Career Day. Charlie didn't pay much mind to the excited whispers and loud debates about who the famous wizard - because _wizard_ not _witch_ is the only thing that everyone seemed to agree on - visiting was and what job they'd be talking about.

"Maybe it's Mad-Eye Moody," Charlie had said when his roommates had asked him, starting an argument about whether the Auror was considered 'famous' or not.

They found out he was wrong on a Monday - because even though it was called Career _Day_ , it usually spanned over the time of a week due to the guests' hectic schedules - when a woman called Amelia Bones, _Senior_ _Auror_ she introduced herself, came to represent the DMLE. The talk of potential job prospects - and the electives and grades they'd have to get to be accepted - at the DMLE was followed by a _very stern_ lecture on the consequences of disobeying the law that morphed into the presentations of other Ministry workers.

Ministry Monday, his roommates had called it.

(Really, Charlie was just pleased to see his dad for a bit - sure some of the jobs seemed interesting, certainly they were _important_ , _but-..._ )

Tuesday consisted of the residents of Hogsmede making the trip up to Hogwarts to talk about the jobs there, from things like working at the Three Broomsticks to crafts like carpentry. Wednesday consisted of several people from Diagon Alley showing up such as Madam Malkin who spoke of creating clothing and running a self-own shop to a Gringotts employee who spoke of the kind of work that goblins would have you do - something Bill was so interested in that he skipped classes just to visit (and drag Charlie along) the room the employee had set up shop in.

The most interesting thing about Wednesday, though, had to be when he wandered into the _Daily Prophet's_ designated room by accident and, within minutes, watched as the wizard talking about the wonders of journalism was hounded by a seventh year witch named Rita Skeeter about a job post-graduation.

Thursday, really, was tame given it was the Hogwarts staff whom took time to speak about their jobs in their free time - Charlie quite liked following Hagrid about as the man showed the tasks he did for the school. Feeding the Giant Squid and help grooming the Hippogriffs who decided to make their home on the grounds was very interesting and, while everyone else made fun of the time he'd 'wasted' following Hagrid around for the day, Grounds Keeper seemed to be the most interesting job he'd heard about so far.

Friday came and with it the farther flung people, such as a Potioneer who came from Brazil to speak and a professional Broom Racer who'd gotten fifth place in the European Relay, along with Whispers about the 'famous' person.

 _Wrote one of the textbooks - Care of Magical Creatures_ , Charlie heard during breakfast by a group of passing Ravenclaws.

Slytherins, when he was trailing them to listen to the Potioneer, muttered, _Works with animals - oh, the shame his family must have felt!_

 _Don't see how it's famous,_ a roommate complained to him at lunch, _Sure he wrote a book but it's a_ textbook _and it's about_ animals _\- it's nothing interesting like an Auror or the racer!_

"He was a Hufflepuff too!" a Hufflepuff said to her friend as they exited a room, "Really, he's quite nice and his work seems interesting but...I don't think it's for _me_."

Charlie paused to look at the room the pair had exited, it was empty save for an older wizard who smiled when he saw him, "Oh, hello. Are you lost?"

 _I was just passing by,_ was on the tip of his tongue but something - maybe it was the various dismissals of the man's work he'd heard throughout the day, maybe it was how easily the man assumed that his coming was a _mistake_ \- had Charlie shaking his head and going further into the room. "No," he said instead, "I wanted to learn more."

"Oh, well, Magizoology isn't a very popular - or, uh, _lucrative_ \- field, not like being an Auror or Quidditch Player." the man started hesitantly, almost like he expected Charlie to turn around and leave at once. Charlie took a seat. "But, in my years, I've never once found it _boring_."

 _Never be unkind,_ his mother had told them and it was the reason why he entered the room. It wasn't the reason he stayed, though.

No, that was all genuine interest in what the man - Charlie really wished he'd asked the wizard his name but it seemed kind of awkward to ask _now,_ besides the wizard was talking about a Thunderbird named _Frank_ of all things - was saying. It was like the time spent with Hagrid, except _more_ because the moment with the Giant Squid and the Hippogriffs were fleeting because there were so many _other_ things to being a Grounds Keeper the animal care but this - _Magizoology_ \- was all about the animals.

A mention of his time yesterday with the Hippogriffs had the man launching into an excited tangent about the Hippogriff herd - "Though sometimes you'll hear a group referred to as a 'flock' but seeing as the _horse_ half of them are the more social bit, it's commonly agreed that a group is a _herd_." the man said - and how it had originated from the wizard's family's own herd. Apparently, a group of younger Hippogriffs decided they wanted to try making their own herd and, in an effort to keep the groups from fighting in territorial disputes and from the new herd from being endangered, were relocated to Hogwarts.

Then, the wizard started talking about _dragons_.

 _This,_ Charlie knew deep in his bones as surely as he had known he was a wizard, _this is what I want to do when I grow up._

It was startling when Professor McGonagall interrupted them just when they were about to debate if the _Horned Serpent_ might be related to the _Hungarian Horntail_ by way of a common ancestor, "Mr. Weasley, your brother has been looking for you since you missed dinner - it's past curfew."

"Oh," Charlie hunched slightly because he just _knew_ Bill was going to lecture him about not taking proper care of himself. If he was lucky, he'd manage to convince his brother not to owl their mother about him 'starving' himself - _again_.

"He's not in trouble, I hope," the man said hurriedly, "It was really my fault, I lost track of time-"

Professor McGonagall glanced at the papers strewn about - at some point they'd both wound up sitting on the floor as the wizard spread out notes and sketches of creatures to emphasize a point - and said, in a very even voice that made him flush, "So I see."

It was somewhat relieving to see that the wizard wasn't immune to Professor McGonagall's tone, looking rather abashed as he returned the papers with a wave of his wand.

"And no, Mr. Weasley's not in trouble since, I suppose, he didn't technically break a rule seeing as he had adult supervision the entire time," she said, then looked at him sternly, "That being said, it is time for him to go to bed - I will escort you back to Gryffindor tower."

"It was nice meeting you, I really enjoyed talking to you." Charlie said, then blurted, "But I never got your name."

The wizard blinked then laughed, smiling and answering once he calmed, "Newt - my name is Newt Scamander and the pleasure was all mine."

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 **A/N:** **there's a _slight_ possibility I'll continue this - I have a half-formed idea for a continuation - but I really doubt it'll ever be a full fledged, multi-chapter story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh look, an alternate POV**

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 _This is a mistake._ The thought had been steadily creeping up on Newt from the moment he agreed to go talk to students at Hogwarts.

 _Creatures_ he can do, the worse they'll do is take a bite out of him and even then it would be his _own_ fault for not being respectful enough of their boundaries. _People,_ on the other hand, was an entirely different monster - he could be polite and respectful and still do the wrong thing. Could make a mistake so terrible that the person wouldn't attack him, but his job - attack innocent creatures for a mistake _Newt_ made.

So yes, from the moment Newt agreed to go the niggling fear of the entire endeavor being a mistake was lurking in the corner of his mind.

In a way, the fear was a creature all it's own.

It lurked in the corners, at the edges of his mind and it grew with time as the day approached. It fed on his worries, on past experiences where things went wrong. It gained strength until it no longer resided in the corners, no longer preyed on him in quiet moments when he tried to plan on what to say, and instead forced him focus on it.

 _This is a mistake,_ screams at him as Newt exits the floo and shakes the headmaster's hand.

 _You're going to say the wrong thing_ , lingers as a gaggle of Ravenclaws wander away moments after he answers their questions about him being the author of **Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them**.

 _It won't be you who will pay for your mistake,_ reminds him when some Slytherins poke their heads through the door to simply stare at him before breaking into giggles and whispers as they leave.

 _No one wants to hear you,_ prods him when some Gryffindors come and leave within minutes with clear expressions on how important they think magizoology to be.

 _Maybe someone would have been interested if it wasn't you speaking,_ comes when the Hufflepuffs who had sat down for a few minutes left with assurances that his work was quite interesting but just not for _them_.

 _This was a mistake_ , Newt thinks tiredly as a lone Gryffindor boy looks in. He manages a smile anyhow, "Oh, hello. Are you lost?"

Because there really was no other reason for the boy to be here.

The Gryffindor is silent for a beat, Newt is certain that the boy is going to leave without a word, then he is shaking his head. "No," the boy tells him, walking into the room. "I want to learn more."

 _He's lying_ , the voice that's been whispering to him all day tells him. _It's pity, he's not actually interested._

It's the most likely truth, or that the boy needs an excuse not to be somewhere else, but Newt still has an obligation so he says, "Oh, well, Magizoology isn't a very popular - or, uh, _lucrative_ \- field, not like being an Auror or Quidditch Player."

He pauses, waiting for the boy to leave. Instead the Gryffindor sits and Newt has to continue. "But, in my years, I've never once found it _boring_."

"What _is_ Magizoology?" the Gryffindor asks, watching him. It's almost like an owl watching a magical child trying to work up the courage to touch for the first time, or a snake waiting for it's prey to come too close for it to escape.

Both possibilities make Newt uncomfortable for different reasons, but he still answers the question. "Magizoology is the study of Magical Creatures, the field is introduced as an elective here at Hogwarts - Care of Magical Creatures."

Newt isn't sure how the conversation progressed to the point where he's telling the boy - and by then he's regretting never asking for an introduction but it was far too late to do so _now_ \- about Frank. He doesn't tell the whole story, he's learned his lesson about trying to convince others that _impossible things_ were true, and he's certain that the boy knows this given there's no real explanation for him to release Frank otherwise.

The Gryffindor doesn't comment, instead mentions how he spent time with the Hippogriff when following the Groundskeeper around.

"The possibility that the Hungarian Horntail dragon and the Horned Serpent being distantly related through a common ancestor is one that's been brought up with increasing frequency in the last decade." Newt is saying when they are finally interrupted.

"Mr. Weasley," the deputy headmistress' severe voice causes them to look up, as they had since migrated on to the floor. Newt having started pulling out sketches and notes of creatures around the time the boy wondered about the differences between post owls and normal ones. "Your brother has been looking for you since you missed dinner - it's past curfew."

"Oh." The boy says, curling inwards with a wince at the reprimand.

"He's not in trouble, I hope," Newt rushes to explain. "It was really my fault, I lost track of time-"

The woman glances down at the papers still strewn about and, very evenly, says, "So I see."

Newt flushed, scrambling to his feet and waving his wand to put away the papers.

"And no," she goes on once they are both on their feet. "Mr. Weasley's not in trouble since, I suppose, he didn't technically break a rule seeing as he had adult supervision the entire time," she said then, looking at the boy sternly, "That being said, it is time for him to go to bed - I will escort you back to Gryffindor tower."

She steps out the room, waiting as the boy moves to follow. It's only when he's about to walk through the doorway that the Gryffindor pauses, turning to look at him and blurting out in a single rush, "It was nice meeting you, I really enjoyed talking to you, but I never got your name."

Newt blinked then laughed, relieved at the chance to learn the boy's name. "Newt-" he answers, "My name is Newt Scamander and the pleasure was all mine."

The Gryffindor smiles, wide and beaming, "Charlie. Charlie Weasley. And I'm really glad I got to meet you."

Then the deputy headmistress is leading the boy away with a stern yet not unkind, "This way, Mr. Weasley."

It's not until Newt is about to Floo home that he realizes that the voice taht had been plaguing him all day had somehow fallen silent at some point during his conversation with Charlie.

And he thinks for the first time, _this was a good idea._


End file.
